April 2021 Politics Thread

Was it Theresa Coffey who basically said live on tv the other day ‘lol good luck trying to get him with this, no one actually cares about it, suckers’.

And she was right, doesn’t even have to begin to keep up the pretence

I can’t stand Boris Johnson and struggle to give a crap about who funded his flat or whatever, of course nobody will care about it

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Keith going in on the ‘let the bodies pile high’ line and the flat redecoration in PMQs. Boris denying the first and changing the subject on the second.

First PMQs I’ve watched in months. Boris just comes across as Trump with a posh accent. Gibbering buzz words about Brexit and Covid. After years of being angry at him being PM, I’ve just remembered how bizarre it is - He really is a late-era-Simpsons-level caricature of a bumbling, evil toff.

I’m not sure if Keith had a good PMQs - Feels like he tried to get Boris on record saying yes or no to things that may bite him on the arse in a few weeks time.

Not too sure which thread is the most appropriate for this, but I thought that it was an excellent piece

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How the utter fuck is a backbench MP allowed to ask the question “Will the PM support my Tory mate as he runs for Doncaster mayor?”!!!

Tories aren’t even trying with the soft questions now - Just straight up campaigning for the elections. Surely the Speaker should be on top of this?

Was the answer “I dunno. How much is he offering?”

The War Over Work? I really liked Slave Ambient.

I think he thought he was being cleverer than he actually was.

Peston here reckoning that DUP/SF swing voters exist.

Fucking hell.

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Isn’t he saying that he thinks that if the DUP become more sectarian, then you’re likely to see Sinn Fein picking up votes from Nationalist parties (eg SDLP), and Alliance?

(there’s also the possibility that the UUP and Alliance pick up votes from the DUP, which would probably benefit Sinn Fein’s position)

Just caught up on PMQs, the prime minister really was very angry, wasn’t a great look for him. Usual no one cares caveats apply obviously, but he did look like a dickhead

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evergreen for Boris Johnson mind

Don’t remember seeing him lose his rag like that before, that made it slightly different. You usually get the Boris Johnson act where he’s a dickhead on purpose, felt like the mask slipped a bit today

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It used to happen on a regular basis when he was London mayor and was being questioned by Assembly members, but it was never reported on, or shown on the news.

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Yes, I think I’d heard that, but like you say, it never got shown.

I think also, he’s very controlling of what personal stuff he talks about, and in the past he’s batted unwanted questions away with “oh no one cares about that”, so to find that isn’t working this time has fully irked him, he’s not in control.

Finally, the amateur psychologist in me has noted that he’s living in the very thing that is causing him upset and can’t escape. He certainly can’t redecorate any time soon either. He’s probably having a not great time.

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It’s often been said that Johnson doesn’t want to actually be Prime Minister or Mayor, but does want to be able to say that he has been Prime Minister and Mayor.

He wants the legacy and the biographies, but not the responsibilities.

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More amateur psychology: he’s a narcissist and narcissists use charm (or in this case bluster) until it stops working, then use tantrums and gaslighting to stay in control.

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I remember seeing some of this on Newsnight last night and actually bursting out laughing at one shot of him, sitting, looking like something someone would bring into The Repair Shop, with a look of utter horror on his face at what was being said to him. The man absolutely needs everyone to love him, and is completely knocked for six whenever a hint of the hatred seeps through.

Very satisfying, I hope he’s not had a wink of sleep for a week.

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I know you guys are all proper politics wonks and so this will not be news to you, but something on my aunt’s Facebook the other day led me to this document:

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-04/2021%20Party%20registration%20decisions-english%20version_0_0.pdf

Basically she was horrified to see that her local tory candidate for police commissioner had their name down on the postal ballot as “Conservative Candidate – More Police, Safer Streets”

She complained to the Electoral Commission and they pointed out that it’s all totally above board. Apparently you can register 12 different “party descriptions” including ones that describe policy. The tories latest policies appear to be more cops and no referendums in Scotland if that latest version is anything to go by.